BLACK CLOUDS & SILVER LININGS

The tenth studio album of Dream Theater can easily get itself listed among the "classics" of the band, with its all-out epic sound, masterful playing and great writing. 2009's 'Black Clouds and Silver Linings' is the last studio recording with Mike Portnoy before his 2010 departure, and is an album that bears a strong resemblance to almost every album preceding it during the decade, since this was an attempted pitch-perfect representation of every constituent element of that signature Dream Theater sound, and the album is indeed a rather excellent excursion into the DT world, replete with massive, fierce riffs from John Petrucci, performative and acrobatic playing from Portnoy, Rudess and Myung as well as some really good vocals by LaBrie, definitely among his better in-studio performances. Composed of just six tracks, this album is epic in every sense of the word, which also makes it a somewhat demanding listen.

A 16-minute live set staple sets the tone for the record - 'A Nightmare to Remember' is a well-known song by Dream Theater, and one of the most focused and impressive pieces of their catalogue, from the dark and almost goth-inspired intro, to the rampant soloing and all through the various passages of this complex track, it is a strong, impressive album opener. The doomy 'A Rite of Passage' comes next, with its melodramatic chorus and killer soloing, this is definitely one of the Petrucci highlights on the album, followed by the elegiac 'Wither' and the final part of Mike Portnoy's Twelve-step Suite, reprising many of the themes heard previously on the cross-album suite, here concluded gracefully, an excellent addition to this thematic project. 'The Best of Times' acts as a fine Rush homage, but this lengthy composition can get cringe and indulgent from the second half onwards. Closing off the record is the 20-minute track 'The Count of Tuscany' is another exemplary composition by Dream Theater that just affirms their signature style of prog metal, which is what this album is all about, as it manages to deliver an exhilarating and enjoyable performance of a band honoring their catalogue in the usual flamboyant way.

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